Problems with the contents of sewage

In today's society we tend to throw a lot of material down the toilet, or drains, or sewers.

This has been happening for a the past 50-60 years, but in today's 'throw away' society and in an age where the packaging industry is producing ever increasing amounts of material, it is inevitable that this problem will cost more to remove.

Some of the materials / debris that are currently discharged down the sewage system are -

Contraceptives
These arrive at a works whole and then float in tanks unless removed and cause blockages in systems.

Sanitary towels
The plastic backing attached does not disintegrate, and will float on the surface of tanks unless removed regularly

Tampons
The plastic applicator containing the tampon does not disintegrate and frequently blocks up all types of pumps. Cardboard applicators disintegrate well, but the strings attached to the tampon can be a problem

Clothing
Generally all types of male and female underwear, but sometimes other clothing is deposited in drains or sewers, which can cause innumerable problems as the material can string out blocking up parts of the works.

Female tights
A reasonably common sight and these when cut can string out and cause long trails of material which are difficult to remove and will block up systems.

Human Feotus's
These can easily be contained in sewage and have to be dealt with according to the law of the country.

Jewelry
It is not uncommon to see jewelry in sewage systems and its usually is the result of a disagreement but it can start blockages.

Small animals
It is quite common for these to become trapped in the drainage system and are carried to a sewage treatment works in the sewage.

Plastic packaging
All types of plastic packaging arrives at a treatment works and this can cause a lot of problems in its removal from the system and frequently blocks systems.

Hypodermic needles
With today's society using injectable drugs a lot these needles are increasingly being disposed of down the drains. They cause a lot of problems in their removal as all screenings need to be handled with great care to avoid contamination by the operatives.

Some other potential problem areas are - Hairdressers ( bleach's and peroxides), Day care Nurseries (Sterilisers), Gardeners ( powerful pesticides), Clothes washing (laundering liquids).